


Like Father, Like Son

by carolej126, TeriH



Category: The Magnificent Seven (TV)
Genre: Family, Gen, Magnificent Seven AU: Little Britches ATF, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-04-27
Packaged: 2020-02-07 11:26:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18619690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carolej126/pseuds/carolej126, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeriH/pseuds/TeriH
Summary: It's time for the Four Corners Elementary Thanksgiving Pageant and Chris Larabee is nowhere to be seen...





	Like Father, Like Son

The school’s gymnasium, where mere hours ago rowdy children had been playing, was now filled with row upon row of folding chairs all facing the stage creating a makeshift auditorium. The heavy curtain was eased aside just far enough for a head with a curly brown mop of hair to peek through. Somber blue eyes gazed out at the milling crowd with growing trepidation. 

Looking out into the sea of family and friends, the one face that Vin wanted to see more than anything else was sadly missing. It was only minutes before the start of the Four Corners Elementary Thanksgiving Pageant and Chris Larabee was nowhere to be seen. Vin knew this to be a fact. He had been checking . . . often. 

*****

Chris and Buck had seemed really proud when JD told them about the school play and the fact that both he and Vin had “talking” parts. Vin had hoped to tell Chris himself, but once JD got started, Vin never had a chance. That was okay though, because he could still see the smile that reached all the way to his dad’s eyes when he heard the news.

JD was playing the part of Myles Standish. Uncle Ezra had said that Myles Standish was his Great, Great, Great, Great, Great “Aunt-Sister.” At least, that’s what he thought Uncle Ezra had said, but there could have been even more “greats” than that. Vin never knew Uncle Ezra had a sister, but didn’t doubt his uncle’s words because JD had a lot of lines to learn, so Myles Standish must have liked to talk just as much as Uncle Ezra. 

Vin had been given the part of Squanto. At first he had called him an Indian, but Uncle Josiah had said he should call him a Native American. He only had one line and that was just fine by him. Vin hadn’t been sure that he wanted to stand in front of a roomful of people, let alone say anything. Then he would remember Chris’s smile and how proud he had been, and he knew that he could do it . . . for Chris. But Chris wasn’t here.

Moments earlier, JD had nearly knocked him over to get to “his Buck” when they had heard the man’s booming laugh. Vin had watched as his brother was swept up into the man’s embrace. He also received a hug from the large man, but kept looking over Buck’s shoulder, hunting for Chris. According to Buck, Chris had been detained by his boss, AD Travis . . . official business. Vin hadn’t been sure what “detained” meant, but was starting to think it meant that Chris wasn’t going to be here.

*****

As the lights in the room flashed twice and then started to dim, Vin watched as his uncles moved to take their seats. Uncle Josiah moved to stand beside a camcorder in the outside aisle and seemed to be arguing over its set up with Uncle Ezra. Uncle Nathan was whispering something in Aunt Raine’s ear that made her smile. Meanwhile, Buck kept looking over his shoulder at the door to the gymnasium, and then at his watch. 

Vin stepped back and let the curtain fall into place. He jumped as his teacher’s hand came to rest on his shoulder. Miss Johnson smiled as she straightened the feather tucked into the headband of his costume. “It’s time to take your place . . . Vin, are you feeling okay?” The concern heard clearly in his teacher’s voice was almost his undoing. 

Vin blinked back the tears which shimmered in the clear blue eyes. It felt like a flock of birds had taken flight in his stomach as he moved to stand just off stage with the other children dressed as Native Americans. The welcome being given by the school’s principal was muffled through the heavy curtain. Vin wiped his clammy hands on the faux buckskin leggings as the curtain slowly began to rise.

*****

Chris Larabee fidgeted in his chair as he listened to Orin Travis, the older man reading from the sheaf of papers held in his hand. Chris knew the information was important, as it provided details that would be needed for their newly assigned case, but for the life of him, he just couldn’t pay attention.

All day long, he’d kept seeing the happy look on Vin’s face when he’d told his son that he couldn’t wait to see the Thanksgiving Pageant, and how proud he was that Vin had been given a speaking role.

Now, all he could imagine was the expression the seven-year-old would be wearing when he realized that his father hadn’t come to see him after all. 

Buck had left the ATF offices over an hour before, headed for the elementary school, and he knew that JD and Vin’s uncles would already be there as well, but for a little boy to whom life had already provided way too many disappointments, the absence of his dad would be devastating.

“Chris?”

Torn from his thoughts, Chris looked up at Orin. 

Instead of the frown Larabee expected, Travis wore a slight smile. “Am I keeping you from something?”

“Sorry, sir,” Chris apologized. “Vin and JD are in a Thanksgiving Pageant that’s supposed to start in…” He checked his watch. “…about five minutes. Vin has a speaking part, and he was pretty nervous about-”

“Go,” Travis interrupted. He neatly tucked the papers he held into a file folder, and set it on his desk. “We can continue this in the morning.”

*****

Chris winced as the Ram flew out of the parking garage, its tires squealing in protest. Pressing the pedal to the floor for a brief moment, he quickly reconsidered, knowing that this would be the worst possible time to receive a speeding ticket. Slowing to a safer speed, only a couple miles over the speed limit, he headed for the elementary school.

As he drove, his eyes kept darting to the clock on the dashboard. The numbers, instead of reassuring him, were accusing him, as the time seemed to be moving forward faster than was actually possible.

The school wasn’t far away, but because of the time of day, Chris found himself snarled in traffic several times, and was forced to wait in long lines until the congestion cleared. Tempted to use his siren to clear a path, he simply clenched the steering wheel tighter, swore a few times – aloud, as there were no children in the vehicle – and continued on.

Finally, Chris arrived at the school. Frustrated to see that all of the spaces in the small parking area had already been claimed, he swung the Ram back around, and parked on the street, several blocks away.

He’d barely turned the ignition off when he was out of the truck, slamming the door shut, pocketing his keys, and running for the entrance to the school.

*****

The Pilgrims had safely crossed the ocean on the Mayflower, arrived at the new land, and begun to build their town. And now, after learning how to plant seeds and catch game, Captain Myles Standish, in the form of five-year-old JD, along with Governor William Bradford, were inviting Squanto and the other Native Americans to join them for a special Thanksgiving feast.

Vin took one last look around the room. Uncle Josiah was standing up, the camcorder held in his hands and focused on the stage. Uncle Ezra was sitting next to Uncle Nathan and Aunt Raine, with Buck sitting in the row behind them. They all wore encouraging smiles.

The rest of his family was here. But there was still no sign of his dad. 

As JD completed his speech, Vin moved forward on leaden feet, his mouth dry and his eyes wide. 

“We…” Vin swallowed hard. “We…” His eyes slid from JD to the mass of people watching the pageant. It felt like there were a million-zillion eyes looking at him. 

“We would be honored,” JD mouthed, trying to help his big brother. 

Vin cleared his throat to try again. “We…” That was as far as he could get. He knew the next word. He knew all of them. But no matter how hard he tried, he just couldn’t seem to get the next word out.

As JD tried to help him again, this time whispering the rest of Vin’s line, all Vin could think about was Chris. He knew that, if his dad was here, he’d be able to do it.

Just as feet started to shuffle uneasily, and a few whispers could be heard from the sympathetic audience, the gymnasium’s double doors swung open and a black-clad form purposefully strode into the room.

Vin blinked, forgetting about the pageant for the moment, and watched as Chris Larabee made his way along the side of the gymnasium. Ignoring the questioning looks he was receiving, Chris didn’t stop until he was even with the front row. There, he smiled and nodded at his son.

Vin smiled back. He could do it now. He knew he could. After another quick glance at his dad, he straightened his shoulders and said in a clear, confident voice, “We would be honored to join you in a feast of thanksgiving.”

The little boy motioned toward the other Native Americans, and they all moved forward, joining the Pilgrims in the center of the stage as the curtain started to lower, only to rise again in order to allow the performers to take their bows and receive the adulation of the audience. 

*****

As the applause died down, the children started to head off the stage, making their way to waiting parents, and the refreshments set up at the back of the room.

JD wasted no time in joining Buck, who launched him into the air before positioning the little boy on top of his shoulders. As Josiah packed up the camcorder, Ezra, Nathan, and Raine moved forward to congratulate Vin on his performance.

But Vin, still standing on the stage, only had eyes for his dad, who quickly joined him and swept him into a hug.

“You made it,” Vin exalted, his eyes shining. He still didn’t know what “detained” meant, but whatever it was, it hadn’t meant that Chris couldn’t come.

“Just barely,” Chris admitted, tousling his son’s hair affectionately. 

“I was scared ‘til I saw you,” Vin admitted in a whisper. He looked around to make sure no one else could hear him, because things like this were only shared with his dad, and sometimes the rest of his ‘family.’ “And I couldn’t say my words.”

“I know,” Chris whispered back. “But that’s okay. Did I ever tell you about the play I was in, back when I was about your age?” He waited until Vin shook his head. “I was in a Christmas program. Guess what I did.”

“Did you get scared, too?” Vin’s eyes were wide. He couldn’t imagine his dad ever being scared to talk in front of people. Usually, when his dad talked, especially to bad guys, people were scared of him. 

Chris laughed. “I sure did. There I was, standing up on that stage, and I couldn’t say anything beyond the first word.”

“Just like me,” Vin said in awe. He could still remember the funny feeling that had been in his stomach when he couldn’t finish his line, and it amazed him that his dad had had the same thing happen to him. 

Chris nodded. “And then I looked at my mom and dad. They were smiling at me, and I knew that they were proud of me, even if I didn’t finish the words.” He smiled at Vin. “Just like I’m always proud of you.”

A rush of happiness filled Vin, and it felt like the smile he now wore covered his whole face.

“Vin! Vin!” JD yelled. The little boy waved up at them, candy sticking out of the side of his mouth. “Come on, Vin! There’s lots of ‘freshments, like cookies and cake and candy.” Without waiting for a response, JD darted into the crowd, heading for the refreshments, a bemused Buck in tow.

“I’d love to see the rest of the pageant,” Chris said, as he lowered Vin to the floor. “How ‘bout we watch Uncle Josiah’s copy when we get home?”

Vin nodded eagerly. He could already picture them, sitting together in the recliner, enjoying the performance. He might even ask Chris if they could make some popcorn so they could pretend that they were at the movies. 

“Vin! Come on!”

“Ready?” Chris asked.

Vin took a last look at the stage around him, remembering how he’d felt only a few minutes before. The uneasy feeling was now gone, along with the tears that had threatened to fall. A wide smile still on his face, he took Chris’s hand, and as they were joined by Uncle Josiah, Uncle Ezra, Uncle Nathan, and Aunt Raine, led them toward the refreshment table.


End file.
